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becausegoodbye · 5 months

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the greatest ever fantasy for passive and diffident trans girls

The greatest ever fantasy for passive and diffident trans girls is a 2006 anime called Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. This, astonishingly, is the plot:

Hazumu is a very gentle young boy who loves gardening and has a crush on his classmate, Yasuna. Then all of a sudden an alien spaceship crashes into him, completely obliterating his body. The aliens didn't intend to do this – the aliens are nice – so they set about reconstructing the poor human they just squished. They're able to restore Hazumu to perfect health, with just one small alteration: something about the process inadvertently changed Hazumu's sex, and she's now a girl. Head to toe, unmistakably, a girl.

This isn't a secret. The aliens announce to the world whole that they've done this, and request that everyone simply treat Hazumu as a girl now. The rest of the show is mainly about Hazumu adjusting to life as a girl, and indecisively navigating a lesbian love triangle between her crush Yasuna and her tomboyish friend Tomari. But truth be told: there's not actually a lot of 'adjusting' that needs to be done. Hazumu is so plainly happier as a girl. There's no bargaining, no despair, no "oh no, how could this happen to me??" Hazumu just instantly rolls with it. Some others have a little difficulty with the transition, but Hazumu literally never does. She just wants to learn all the girl stuff she didn't know about, spend time with her friends, and live her best life. Which she does.

At Hazumu's age, I had no conscious sense of my own transness. There were all sorts of little signs identifiable in retrospect, but if you'd asked me whether I'd like to have a spaceship crash into my and change my sex, I think I would have been like, "Uhh no thank you?" But I'll tell you this. If a spaceship had crashed into me and changed my sex, I would have really impressed people with how well I took it. The adults in my life would have been stunned at how bravely and cheerfully I dealt with such a shocking blow, how quickly I adjusted to the idea, how naturally I just got on with things. "What an impressively emotionally mature boy," they would have thought – "I mean girl."

This is a curious and funny depth at which transness can be buried: unable to articulate a desire to be the other sex, but being able to deal with suddenly becoming the other sex with remarkable equanimity. One of the things that feels special to me about Kashimashi: Girls Meets Girl as a trans narrative is that it feels pretty clear that if the spaceship crash had never happened, Hazumu just ... would have been a boy. A quiet, gentle, uncomplaining boy, whose relationships with girls were a bit different to others, but other than that: a boy. But as soon as external circumstances intervened and made the decision for her – it's a repeated emphasis that Hazumu is very indecisive – the clarity is instantaneous. Hazumu was always a trans girl; she just only realised it through the gift of a medical transition so instantaneous and perfect that the fantasy of it can make a heart gallop.

This is rare kind of trans story. There are lots of trans people who always knew on some level, but there are also a lot of us who didn’t. It can be overwhelming to think about the contingencies involved with the development of even the thought of transition: the hideous army of unchosen circumstances penning our thoughts in at rifle-point and dictating our social and material possibilities. Kashimashi gives us a trans protagonist who, left to her own devices, probably would have just stayed a boy. She wouldn’t have wanted to put anyone to any trouble. But the story asks: "What if a giant fucking spaceship crushed your body into atoms and accidentally medically transitioned you, huh? Would you accept being a girl then?"

Which, for some of us, is weirdly the right question.

The show actually has another trick up its sleeve, and it's a beautiful one. Yasuna, the crush, has always liked Hazumu back, but she's been dealing with a strange and difficult affliction that's made things hard for her. For some reason, she "can't see men". That is: she can see women and girls perfectly well, but when men enter her field of vision, they're just these scary grey blobs. She can register their presence, and sometimes identify them by voice, but she gets them confused all the time, and it's been a lot safer to just try to minimise her contact with boys and men. It makes the world very intimidating to navigate, and is the source of her shyness and reticence.

Obviously, "men are basically just grey blobs to me" is not a totally uncommon lesbian experience. But in Yasuna's case it's literalised, and deeply confusing, and you really feel how isolating it would be to attempt to live with it. There is never any attempt to explain Yasuna's condition, even to a goofy anime "aliens did it" degree. It's simply the situation for Yasuna, and she's been dealing with it alone for a long time.

The story feels like it's set up to say: oh, Yasuna didn't used to be able to see Hazumu, but now Hazumu's a girl, so now she can! And they can have a little gay love story! Cute! But that's not what the story does. Instead, the story is emphatically clear on this point:

Yasuna could see Hazumu the entire time.

During a time when every single man and boy on earth appeared to Yasuna as a featureless grey blob, Hazumu was the only 'boy' who was actually alive to her, who had a face, who she could bear to be around. Whatever was responsible for Yasuna's 'condition', magic or illness or curse or contrivance: Hazumu was always exempt. During a time when everyone else saw Hazumu as a boy, Yasuna was the only one who actually saw her.

This is unbearably romantic, but also shockingly affirming. Hazumu was always a girl! There is no non-trans explanation for any of this! The show has no explicit consciousness of this: the word 'trans' is never used, and nobody ever speaks as though anyone's ever gone through anything like this before. The language used (at least in the translated subtitles I had access to) is just "used to be a boy" and "is a girl now". And yet the whole story is the most remarkable trans fantasy, conjuring the most deeply blessed form of transness imaginable. A transness where the whole world knows you used to be a boy, but accepts you wholly as a girl. A transness of instant perfect painless transition, which you didn't even need to choose, but can simply enjoy. A transness actualised by aliens and confirmed by magic.

It's really something.

Distasteful post-script:

Would it even be an anime if there wasn't an incredibly gross and off-putting running 'gag' that makes it impossible to recommend without shamefaced caveats? Kashimashi is no exception. After Hazumu's transition, her dad becomes creepily attracted to her, and around once every episode, there's a brief interlude – usually less than 30 seconds, and played entirely for laughs – where he attempts to molest her. He's constantly attempting to bathe with her, take revealing photographs of her, and touch her sexually. These attempts invariably conclude with Hazumu's mother catching him in the act, making a snarly face, and bonking him on the head. Then everyone acts like it didn't happen, and he does it again the next episode.

This is the fucking worst. Everyone hates it. It's an intensely upsetting smear on an otherwise beautiful show. In order to enjoy the things about Kashimashi that are genuinely rare and good, you kinda have to just decide to ignore the dad stuff, and I wouldn't quibble with anyone who thought it not a price worth paying. (I'd really love to go through and – similar to what I did with My Hero Academia – edit together a version that just simply got rid of all of the lecherous dad shit. It wouldn't be hard; you'd only be cutting 20-30 seconds from most episodes, and these moments are never referenced outside of that. Unfortunately, I'm pretty time-poor at the moment, so this'll have to be filed under "something I'd like to do when I have more time". Hopefully at some point I'll be able to. I'd love for more people to see this show, but I also really don't want to expose more people to the world's worst fucking running gag, so being able to give people files with that shit neatly snipped out would be a mercy.)

Look, Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl a silly anime in lots of ways. A lot of the episodes are kinda throwaway, the dad stuff is completely unforgivable, and I personally didn't love the ending (love triangles are annoying). But that core nugget of trans fantasy – what if aliens did it – is so resonant and joyous that I watched every episode enraptured. It's a cis cliche to call trans people "brave" without actually doing anything to make our lives easier, but the wonderful thing about Hazumu's story is that she didn't need to be brave. Honestly, she's kind of a scaredy-cat the whole series! And ruinously indecisive! Relatable queen!!! All of this, coupled with the after-the-fact clarity of her transition – delighting in being a girl only after being able to try it – makes her a trans protagonist I can see myself in to a pretty embarrassing degree.

Sometimes it takes a spaceship crashing into you, y'know?

#kashimashi: girl meets girl #trans

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novankenn · 9 months

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Altered Destiny

= Ten =

After finishing up in the washroom, and again being assisted by Pyrrha to walk back across the room, Jaune found herself seated upon her bed, her face a deep crimson in colour.

Pyrrha: Jaune?

Jaune: I... I... I can't!

Pyrrha: Jaune, it's okay. You don't need to be embarrassed.

Jaune: I... no... I...

Pyrrha: (Still in her night shirt, but holding a bra and panties set for Jaune to put on) You need to put on some underclothes Jaune.

Jaune: But... but... you'll be watching! I can't!

Pyrrha: Jaune I can turn my back, or you can change in the restroom if that is what is bothering you. That is what is upsetting you?

Jaune: It is, but...

Pyrrha: Jaune, we're partners, you can tell me anything.

Jaune: It's just... just...

Pyrrha set the set of undergarments beside Jaune and then took a seat on the bed next to her. Reaching over, Pyrrha gently laid a hand upon Jaune's clenched hands.

Pyrrha: I'm not here to judge, Jaune. I'm here to help. So if something is bothering you about this situation, you can tell me. So what's bothering you?

Jaune: It's just... if I put those on, it means this is all true, and I'm not ready for that. I'm not ready to not be a guy... anymore.

Pyrrha: I get it, but the reality is you are a girl. I don't understand how that happened, and I don't think I ever will, but Jaune you're a girl now.

Jaune: If... if... if I except that... it means...

Pyrrha: Jaune, what does wearing a bra and panties mean?

Jaune: That... I died... like Selune said.

Pyrrha: Selune? Whose Selune?

Jaune: It's... it's nothing. Can I change in the bathroom? I'm not ready for... you know.

Pyrrha just gave Jaune a warm smile as she stood and proceeded to assist her team leader, partner and friend back to the restroom. Pyrrha was in the middle of changing out of her night shirt when Jaune poked her head out through the door.

Pyrrha: Jaune?

Jaune: Um... ah... um... bra?

Pyrrha: Bra? I gave you one, or did I...

Jaune: No, no... you gave me one... it's just... um... how?

Pyrrha: How? Oh, right. You've never worn one before, so of course.

Jaune was a blushing mess when Pyrrha moved to the door and opened it up. Clutching the plain white bra to her chest, Jaune watched as Pyrrha took off her shirt and the unfastened her own bra.

Pyrrha: Now watch me. (Pyrrha notices Jaune avoiding looking at her) Jaune you won't know how if you don't watch me. It's okay.

Jaune was feeling so conflicted right now. Of course, she wanted to know how to properly put on a bra, seeing as she now needed one, but she couldn't let Pyrrha know that she was finding her extremely attractive... and was feeling more than a little pervy about getting a chance to see her naked breasts.

Pyrrha: Jaune?

Jaune: (Her face cherry-red) I... can't. I can't look. It's not right.

Pyrrha: Well, maybe if I talk you through it. Would that be better?

Jaune: Yes.

Pyrrha: Okay.

Team RWBY were at their usual table with Ren and Nora having breakfast. All about the natural noises that always filled the expansive room, but they ate in silence. RWBY could tell Nora was bothered by something, as she just played with her traditional plate of pancakes, instead of scarfing them down.

They were pretty sure they knew what it was. It had passed through the school rather quickly that Jaune had gone out alone and was seriously hurt. But that was all that was known. There had been no updates, but with Pyrrha missing, they knew it was serious.

Ruby: So, is Jaune okay? He's not seriously hurt, is he?

Nora: Jaune's... Jaune's not here anymore.

Ruby: What?

Yang: You mean he's been transferred to a hospital, right? Right?

Weiss froze, when she heard Nora's statement. It was no secret she almost completely despised Arc. She had little to nothing good to say in regard to him. But this... the way Nora spoke... sent a chill down her spine.

Ren: Nora... (Ren paused, trying to choose his words. He was unconvinced that the young woman they had been shown was Jaune.) No, is not the time.

Ruby: Is it true. It's not true! Jaune can't be gone!

Weiss: They... they would have announced it if he...

Blake stayed quiet, even though she wanted to say something, there was really nothing she could say. She had been in similar situations during her tenure with the White Fang. The sting of dealing with loss never truly went away.

Nora: Jaune is GONE! (sobbing) He's gone! (Sob) He's gone.

Ren: Nora... please...

Ruby: (Jumping to her feet and slapping her hands on the top of the table, tear shining in her eyes) It's NOT TRUE! Jaune can't be gone!

Yang: (Rising to pull her sister into a hug) It's okay, Rubes. It's okay.

Ruby: He can't... (starting to cry)

Yang: Let it out... just let it out.

Weiss: How's... How's Pyrrha taking this? She... she was close with him. Is she okay?

Ren: She's in the infirmary, with Jaune.

While a sense of loss and grief fell over RWBY thanks to Nora, Jaune was sitting on her bed. Her face, the brightest crimson a human could possibly turn. Pyrrha was looking at her with concern, but Jaune couldn't speak as to why she was the way she was.

Pyrrha's touch against her bare skin. The unintentional caress of Jaune's breast, while she showed the newly created young woman how to properly seat her bra cups. Jaune couldn't put it into words, what she was feeling or thinking.

Pyrrha: Jaune are you okay?

Jaune: I... yes... I... just... I... um...

Pyrrha: Jaune? (Notices Jaune's very red face, and realizes what she had just done, her own face becoming red) I'm SORRY!

Jaune: No, no, no... it's okay... it felt nice...(amazingly grows even redder) ah... um...

It was then a nurse walked into the room. She ended up being unable to suppress her giggle at the two blushing and stammering, obviously completely mortified young women. She shook her head as both hid their faces in their hands.

Nurse: (Clearing her throat) Ms Arc has several appointments at Vale General Hospital. So if you could finish getting dressed, I will take you to the bullhead pads.

Jaune: Take me... (notices the wheelchair)

Nurse: Before you say anything. This is standard procedure. You have not been released from our care.

Jaune: I... do I have to?

Nurse: I'm sorry. Doctor's orders. There are several specialists Dr House wishes for you to see.

Jaune: Can (Reaches out, takes hold of Pyrrha's hand.)

Nurse: (Smiling and trying to suppress a giggle) Yes, Ms Nikos can accompany you.

Jaune: (Turns her azure eyes to her partner) Pyr?

Pyrrha: (Closes her hand about Jaune's) I told you, Jaune... I'm not leaving your side until you ask me to.

Nurse: We have to get going, so if you would kindly finish getting dressed. I'll return in five minutes to take you to the pads. Okay?

The pair of young huntresses-in-training nodded in agreement.

{Table of Contents}

#Altered Destiny #Kashimashi: Girl meets Girl #rwby #jaune arc #fem!jaune #female!jaune

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kfluiddragon · 6 days

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Can a weird phalus shaped alien space ship please kill me and reconstruct me as a girl please?

#started thinking about one of my favorite manga from when i was younger #kashimashi girl meet girl

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pikachugirltits · 5 months

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I gotta say..."character that gets magically gender bent only for it to crack their egg" is like... absolutely one of my favorite character concepts.

#lexi rambles on #yes this is about that magical girl delinquent oc I just reblogged art of #but it's also about Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girls #and also how In personally interpret the end of Ayakashi Triangle

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historyhermann · 11 months

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Yuri Is My Job! Spoiler-Filled Review

Yuri Is My Job!, also known as Schwestern in Liebe! or Watashi no Yuri wa Oshigoto Desu!, is a yuri comedic anime based on an ongoing manga by Miman. 12 volumes of the manga have been printed, 11 of which have been translated into English. Passione and Studio Lings produced this series. It is directed by Hijiri Sanpei. Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the…

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gloop898 · 7 months

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2023 Media Thread - Part 119

Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~

Genderbend and its yuri? Sign me the fuck up! While its got some stuff thats kinda dumb, its generally a cute and fun read. While its still too much of a coward to just be transgender about it, there are a few moments that are. The key one being when protagonist Hazumu has a moment of doubt and wonders if her friends really see her as a girl and if she can truly be one. It's stuff like along those lines that makes this manga really good.

Well, actually, it would be really good, but the ending kinda squanders it all. Spoiler Warning: but for the run of the manga Hazumu is in a love triangle with two other girls. The burning question being which of the two will she end up picking. However, there are several moments throughout the manga that present the polyamorous option as a perfectly valid one, with even the two other girls seemingly realizing they hold affection for one another. It seems to be constantly building to this conclusion. However, the last few chapters pull a bullshit plot out of its ass that essentially boils down to: if Hazumu doesn't choose just one she'll fucking die. It feels completely out of left field, and smells of editorial meddling, but that's just speculation.

The bungled ending really kinda puts a dour note on the whole thing and makes me really hesitant to call it good. We were so close to greatness. So so close.

First | Prev | Next

#media thread 2023 #Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~#yuri #i still desperately need transgender yuri

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wlwcatalogue · 2 years

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Yuri Anime Masterlist (as of Oct 2022)

(For those not familiar with the term "yuri" (百合), it is used to refer to anime, manga, light novels etc. which focus on the close relationships - often romantic - between female characters. However, as it is considered a genre in itself, the term is both looser and more restrictive than one might expect, e.g. a work concerned with platonic and not particularly intense relationships between female characters may still be considered "yuri" if it fits the genre tropes and/or if it is marketed as such.)

One day I thought it'd be good to have a masterlist of yuri anime which included commentary on the show, to give people a better idea of what might appeal to them (or what to be wary of). "It'll be easy," I thought. "There aren't that many specifically yuri anime out there," I thought.

Turns out, 22 series may not be a lot if you're looking at all the anime out there, but it certainly doesn't feel that way if you have to write a proper entry for each one. Here it is, a list of all the anime which are specifically marketed as being yuri (i.e. labelled as such on Anime News Network), with commentary, in no particular order.

Edit: Added links to the corresponding Anime News Network and MyAnimeList pages!

At-a-glance list:

Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 episodes + 1 movie, 1997)

Bloom into You (13 episodes, 2018)

Maria-sama ga Miteru (39 episodes, 2004)

Kase-san (58-minute OVA, 2018)

Aoi Hana (11 episodes, 2009)

Otherside Picnic (12 episodes, 2021)

Simoun (26 episodes, 2006)

Yuri Kuma Arashi (12 episodes, 2015)

Akuma no Riddle (12 episodes, 2014)

Citrus (12 episodes, 2018)

NTR: Netsuzou Trap (12 10-minute episodes, 2017)

Adachi to Shimamura (12 episodes, 2020)

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san (12 5-minute episodes, 2014)

Sasameki Koto (13 episodes, 2009)

Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl (12 episodes, 2006)

The Executioner and Her Way of Life (12 episodes, 2022)

If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die (12 episodes, 2020)

Kannazuki no Miko (12 episodes, 2004)

Strawberry Panic (26 episodes, 2006)

Fragtime (60-minute OVA, 2019)

Sakura Trick (12 episodes, 2014)

Bonus: Yuri is My Job! (upcoming anime)

Details under the cut!

1. Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 episodes + 1 movie, 1997) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Okay, so this series was not actually marketed as being yuri, but it’s far too ubiquitous for me not to put it in this section. When she was a child, Tenjou Utena (Kawakami Tomoko) was saved by a passerby prince, so she decided that she too wanted to become a prince as an adult. Fast forward to high school, and she hasn’t forgotten that conviction: Utena gets sucked into a series of duels while trying to protect her best friend’s honour. After winning the first duel, she becomes ‘engaged’ to the eccentric “Rose Bride” Himemiya Anthy (Fuchizaki Yuriko), and the two start living together in the same dormitory.

First things first: there are a million content warnings for this series, including implied rape, sexual assault, incest, and homophobia. Although the issues are handled well (in my opinion), it does go to very dark places, so those wanting a light, fun anime to unwind to should look elsewhere. Second, this series is very much a psychological drama utilising the episodic duels as a way of hone in on Utena’s opponents and their stories, so Utena and Anthy’s relationship – though important – is definitely not the focus of the anime. Third, the TV series is limited to hinting at the romantic relationship between Utena and Anthy, not to mention that they spend most of the series being little more than acquaintances rather than actual friends. The movie Adolescence (which can be taken as a retelling or sequel, depending on your perspective) is much more explicit on this front, but also suffers from a significantly shorter runtime and a much more opaque approach to storytelling.

That being said! If you’re okay with all of the above, this series is pretty much a must-watch. The simplistic premise belies a much more complex and nuanced story about gender roles, sexuality, and human relationships and remains one of the smartest anime ever made, over twenty years on.

2. Bloom into You (13 episodes, 2018) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Probably one of the slickest-looking yuri anime out there, Bloom into You is a beautiful, polished adaptation of a manga of the same name by Nakatani Nio. Main character Koito Yuu (Kanemoto Hisako), who hasn’t experienced romantic love before, thinks student council senior Nanami Touko (Kotobuki Minako) is the same way until Touko suddenly confesses to her. The story follows the two girls’ trials and tribulations after that confession, and in particular how Yuu grows into her romantic feelings for Touko. The story can be messy at times but it’s got plenty of heart, and I really really love the other explicitly queer side characters – they’re so good that this series is worth watching even if you don’t click with the main couple IMO.

3. Maria-sama ga Miteru (39 episodes, 2004) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

A list of yuri works would be incomplete without mentioning this genre-defining juggernaut of a series created by light novel author Konno Oyuki, which is responsible for reviving the Class S genre and ensuring that yuri was for a long time – and to a large extent still is – associated with genteel all-female schools and girls calling their older targets of affection “onee-sama”. It starts with the elegant and aloof Ogasawara Sachiko (Itou Miki) inviting the main character Fukuzawa Yumi (Ueda Kana), an ordinary junior from the year below, to become her “petite sœur” (“little sister”, essentially a mentee), but branches out into more of a slice-of-life ensemble piece looking at Yumi and her friends and the various “sœur” pairs of the prestigious Lilian Girls’ Academy. Due to the “sœur” system, there is a whole fleet of F/F ships to pick from, but do note that only one character out of the very large cast is overtly queer.

Personally, I found the anime a bit dull, but the light novels and drama CDs were much more to my taste. Either way, anyone with an interest in the history of yuri as a genre should definitely check this series out in one way or another.

4. Kase-san and Morning Glories (58-minute OVA, 2018) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

The popular manga by Takashima Hiromi has sadly never received the full anime treatment, but at the very least there’s an OVA which adapts part of the story. The OVA starts with two high school sweethearts having recently entered into a relationship together, but Yamada Yui (Takahashi Minami), the timid one of the pair, is plagued with doubts over her relationship with the sporty Kase Tomoka (the eponymous “Kase-san”; Sakura Ayane). Famous for being teeth-rottingly sweet.

5. Aoi Hana (11 episodes, 2009) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Despite the somewhat misleading OP, Aoi Hana is a character-focused slice of life show about lesbian high schooler Manjoume Fumi (Takabe Ai), her crush on the prince-like Sugimoto Yasuko (Ishimatsu Chiemi), and her coming out to her childhood best friend and first love Okudaira Akira (Gibu Yuko). You might be wary as this anime is an adaptation of a series by queen of messy LGBTQ-related manga Shimura Takako, but the story ends before it gets into the real melodrama, leaving viewers with an open but hopeful conclusion. The gentle pastels of the anime also look very nice IMO, it’s a great fit for Shimura’s art.

6. Otherside Picnic (12 episodes, 2021) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Adapted from the ongoing light novel series by Miyazawa Iori, Otherside Picnic opens with college student (in a yuri anime! I know!) Kamikoshi Sorawo (Hanamori Yumiri) poking around in the supernatural “Otherside” and nearly being killed by a monster for her efforts. Her rescuer is the gun-toting Nishina Toriko (Kayano Ai), a young woman who happens to attend the same university. Since Sorawo is deeply interested in urban myths and Internet creepypasta, she decides to team up with Toriko, who is trying to search her friend who went missing in the Otherside. Otherside Picnic draws on existing Japanese urban myths and the Russian SF novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, but is also, though nobody seems to mention it, very much influenced by certain parts of the massive Touhou franchise – specifically the exploits of Renko and Merry (Sorawo in particular is strongly reminiscent of Renko). Although the anime doesn’t adapt enough to get to the explicitly romantic aspects of their relationship and has been criticized for undermining the horror elements with cheap CG, it has been praised for its college-age leads (though you wouldn’t know that from the character designs) and genre fiction focus, which are unusual in yuri.

7. Simoun (26 episodes, 2006) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

In the original SF anime Simoun, viewers are introduced to the nation of Simulacrum, which is embroiled in a bitter war against two other nations. On the front lines of this conflict are the main characters, a group of under-seventeens who pair up to pilot Simulacrum’s mecha (the titular “Simoun”). It’s a bit of an interesting case because although it is known and marketed as a yuri anime, for the duration of the series, the majority of the cast are not known to be female – the pilots come from a species where they are born monogender (although the designs skew feminine, similar to the Asari in Mass Effect) and pick their preferred gender at the age of seventeen (honestly, this sounds like a very sensible system). Don’t worry though, since sources say that a bunch of the endgame pairs do end up being F/F. Actually I’ve never watched this anime before as it’s known to be fanservice-heavy, but it does sound rather intriguing on paper.

8. Yuri Kuma Arashi (12 episodes, 2015) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Directed by Ikuhara Kunihiko of Sailor Moon and Utena fame and with character designs by prolific out yuri mangaka Morishima Akiko, Yuri Kuma Arashi is a surreal tale set in a world where bears can take on human form and are feared and reviled by the human population, who have constructed the “Wall of Severance” to keep them out. Amidst this, main character Tsubaki Kureha (Yamane Nozomi) is a bear-hating human who finds out that two of her classmates – Yurishiro Ginko (Arakawa Miho) and Yurigasaki Lulu (Ikuta Yoshiko) – are actually bears in disguise. The anime is generally well-received, with critics praising its handling of homophobia, prejudice, and exclusion, but I personally felt that the series suffered from its length (it was by far the shortest of Ikuhara’s outings at the time) and heavy use of imagery and symbolism in place of character-building and narrative construction, so YMMV. Please also be warned of that there’s some rather gratuitous fanservice, especially in the first few episodes. The three-volume manga of the same name by Morishima Akiko was good though – it uses the same premise but takes it in a very different direction!

9. Akuma no Riddle (12 episodes, 2014) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

A rare case of a yuri anime which manages to cover the entirety of the series it was based on, Akuma no Riddle is an adaptation of the manga written by Kouga Yun and drawn by Minakata Sunao. Assassin-in-training Azuma Tokaku (Suwa Ayaka) is exceedingly skilled but suffers from a career-ruining mental block: she can’t ever bring herself to land the killing blow, no matter how much she wants to. Tokaku is given the chance to prove herself by entering a girls’ school battle royale where she is to compete with other young assassins to kill a certain target – the bafflingly ordinary-seeming Ichinose Haru (Kanemoto Hisako). On an impulse, the otherwise cold Tokaku swears to protect Haru from the others, and becomes her bodyguard. As with Maria-sama ga Miteru, the series comes with a lot of pre-packaged F/F pairs for your shipping pleasure, but only one pair is overtly romantic. (Also, I was very unlucky and latched onto a pair which happens to feature the only character who has a male love interest… RIP.) The story needed a bit more space to breathe IMO, but others have enjoyed it for the action, fun premise, and for being one of the few yuri anime that isn’t yet another high school coming-of-age romance.

10. Citrus (12 episodes, 2018) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

An adaptation of the hit manga by Saburouta, Citrus focuses on the tumultuous relationship between rule-breaking gyaru Aihara Yuzu (Taketatsu Ayana) and uptight student council president Aihara Mei (Tsuda Minami) – who, it turns out, is Yuzu’s new stepsister. It is controversial for its frequent depictions of non-consensual kissing and other physical contact, and for the generally melodramatic, titillating approach taken to the relationship between the two leads, but some queer women really love this series and I’m not here to police, so here it is.

11. NTR: Netsuzou Trap (12 10-minute episodes, 2017) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

One of the most infamous yuri series out there, this is an adaptation of the manga by Kodama Naoko. It’s essentially a daytime soap opera dressed up as a high school drama: Okazaki Yuma (Kakuma Ai) and Mizushina Hotaru (Igarashi Hitomi) are childhood friends who both have boyfriends but end up messing around with each other. There’s cheating, abusive boyfriends, toxic relationships, and melodrama galore – very rare for yuri anime. If you enjoy soap operas this might be just the thing, although there’s probably more fanservice than normal.

12. Adachi to Shimamura (12 episodes, 2020) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Quiet slice-of-life series “Adachi and Shimamura” is an adaptation of an ongoing light novel series by Iruma Hitoma. The story depicts the everyday life of high school student Adachi Sakura (Kitou Akari) and her friend Shimamura Hougetsu (Itou Miku), who she has feelings for. Adachi’s feelings towards Shimamura are overtly romantic, but be warned that their relationship is more open-ended than in the light novels due to only the first few volumes being adapted. Received praise for its atmosphere-building, but this is tempered by there being a lot of fanservice throughout.

13. Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san (12 5-minute episodes, 2014) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

A series of vignettes adapted from the yonkoma (4-panel) manga by Kuzushiro, Inugami-san and Nekoyama-san is about the relationship between the dog-like cat-lover Inugami Yachiyo (Uesaka Sumire) and cat-like dog-lover Nekoyama Suzu (Toyama Nao). I haven’t seen it myself, but judging by the reception, it’s a good pick for those looking for a quick, fluffy watch.

14. Sasameki Koto (13 episodes, 2009) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

This adaptation of Ikeda Takashi’s manga follows high school student Murasame Sumika (Takagaki Ayahi), who has a crush on her female best friend Kazama Ushio (Takamoto Megumi). The twist is that she knows Ushio is into girls… so what’s the problem? Well, unfortunately for Sumika, Ushio can’t stop going on about how she likes very cute, “feminine” girls, and Sumika just doesn’t fit that type. And on a meta level, time is Sumika’s worst enemy, because this is another case of the main couple not getting together by the end of the anime due to the limited runtime. The series’ scope extends beyond the romantic storyline, however, and touches upon homophobia and queer media (okay, yuri doujin). On the downside, a lot of the humour is dated, and a cross-dressing character is dealt with in a poor manner.

15. Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl (12 episodes, 2006) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Part of the 2006 yuri anime boom, Kashimashi is based on the manga by Akahori Satoru. The story starts with young boy Osaragi Hazumu (Ueda Kana) having a rather confusing day: after being rejected by his female classmate Kamiizumi Yasuna (Horie Yui), he is killed in a freak UFO accident, and then resurrected – albeit in a female body. The anime shows the gradual process of Hazumu coming to terms with the new body and becoming mixed up in a gentle love triangle with Yasuna and female childhood friend Kurusu Tomari (Tamura Yukari). Apparently it’s quite sweet despite the decidedly mid-2000’s premise.

16. The Executioner and Her Way of Life (12 episodes, 2022) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

A twist on the usual isekai formula by light novel author Sato Mato, Executioner is centred on Menou (Saeki Iori), the eponymous Executioner tasked with eliminating with magically-gifted people from another world, i.e. isekai protagonists. One day, a routine job goes awry when Menou discovers that her target – a Japanese schoolgirl named Tokitou Akari (Kahara Moe) – has the ability to control time and thereby reverse her own death. Unwilling to let a person with such dangerous powers roam free, Menou joins Akari on a journey through the country, albeit one that ends before anything much happens – the anime adapts only the first two volumes of the ongoing light novel series. Also, somewhat surprisingly given the premise, the show is apparently an ensemble piece which focuses more on its world-building and action-packed plot, although Menou and Akari’s growing closeness does get some screen-time.

17. If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die (12 episodes, 2020) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

One of only three series on this list which do not mention school at all (the others being Simoun and The Executioner and Her Way of Life, to my knowledge), OshiBudo is an adaptation of the ongoing manga by Hirao Auri where protagonist Eripiyo (Fairouz Ai) overworks herself at part-time jobs in the name of supporting her fave Ichii Maina (Tachibana Hina), the least popular member of already-unpopular local idol group ChamJam. Despite the uncomfortable implications of the initial setup, the anime dodges the most obvious pitfalls as Maina’s relationship with Eripiyo is strictly that of idol and (overzealous) fan even until the end, and there’s actually more of a focus on Eripiyo bonding with her idol fan friends (sadly all male). Obviously there is only subtext in this show, and not anything heavily hinted at that, but it’s not a bad thing in this case.

18. Kannazuki no Miko (12 episodes, 2004) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Ah, Kannazuki no Miko, adaptation of a manga by Kaishaku. Famed as a yuri classic, nobody told me that it was actually a mecha anime (!) with a third, male protagonist (!!) in which one half of the F/F couple we’re supposed to be rooting for rapes the other and the story just glosses over it (!!! - rage). And it’s a pity, because the premise is solidly of the mecha genre and therefore refreshingly different to the usual yuri fare! An ancient evil looms over Japan as the Orochi mecha pilots begin to awaken, forcing main character Kurusugawa Himeko (Shitaya Noriko) and her classmate and friend Himemiya Chikane (Kawasumi Ayako) to work together as the sun and moon priestesses to seal the threat away. Unfortunately, in practice, it’s mainly Himeko’s male childhood friend Oogami Souma (Majima Junji) doing the fighting, and the anime spends more time building up a budding (straight) romance between Himeko and Souma before the sudden pivot in the last few episodes – a pivot which is difficult to be happy about due to the sexual assault. Watch if you’re interested but be warned that it definitely has the problems of mid-2000’s yuri and then some.

19. Strawberry Panic (26 episodes, 2006) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

An adaptation of the light novels by Kimino Sakurako, apparently this is basically Maria-sama ga Miteru done in a moe style and with fanservice. I don’t have any more to say as I haven’t watched it and the summaries don’t clarify much beyond it being a slice-of-life character drama set at a girl’s school (possibly multiple girl’s schools).

20. Fragtime (60-minute OVA, 2019) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

Fragtime adapts the manga by Sato about Moritani Misuzu (Itou Miku), a girl who can stop time for three minutes every day, and Murakami Haruka (Miyamoto Yume), a classmate who isn’t affected by Misuzu’s power. Audiences seem split between those who appreciated it as a slightly supernatural-driven coming-of-age romance and those who found it superficial and male-gazey (there is a very juvenile obsession with underwear).

21. Sakura Trick (12 episodes, 2014) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

This adaptation of a yonkoma manga by Tachi follows best friends Takayama Haruka (Tomatsu Haruka) and Sonoda Yuu (Iguchi Yuka) who, worried about drifting apart due to a change in the classroom seating, fall into a kissing-focused friends-with-benefits arrangement. Some find it sweet, others find it male-gazey, it’s a tale as old as time when it comes to yuri.

Bonus: Yuri is My Job! (upcoming anime) - Anime News Network | MyAnimeList

The recently-announced anime will adapt Miman’s ongoing manga about Shirasagi Hime (Ogura Yui), a high school student who gets pressured into working at a yuri-themed café where the waitstaff pretend to be students at a girl’s school who are in ambiguously gay relationships with each other. Hime is paired up with Ayanokouji Mitsuki (Uesaka Sumire), who plays the perfect onee-sama when working but hates Hime’s guts behind the scenes. Part human drama – like many a yuri series before it, the manga delves into the various characters inhabiting the café rather than just Hime and Mitsuki – and part metatextual riffing on the yuri genre, this should be one to look out for.

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